Gaming graphics company Nvidia is hoping to succeed where so many have failed, as it launches a new TV-based Android games console.

But the sleek set-top box is an undeniable powerhouse, capable of competing with the likes of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well as Apple TV.

The $199 (£130) Nvidia Shield, comes with a bundled controller and will play games from the Google Play store as well as be able to stream movies in 4K ultra-high definition.

What's more, the company is building in a technology called Nvidia GRID that allows the Shield console to stream high definition (and eventually 4K - which is four times the resolution of a standard HD picture) video games without lag.

Nvidia likens it to a video game version of Netflix that uses a network of supercomputers which, according to CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, are twice as powerful as the most powerful games consoles in the world.

The Nvidia Shield games console is smaller than it looks, and will go on sale later this year

Despite this, Nvidia told Mirror Online it doesn't see the Shield as a direct competitor to existing games consoles like PlayStation and Xbox.

"We’re not competing with Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Shield is an Android TV console – not a standard game console," said an Nvidia spokesperson.

"It’s a full featured entertainment device for the living room, delivering a premium 4K experience and harnesses the power of the mobile-cloud to deliver streamed games at up to 1080p 60fps. It also has access to Android’s large and open app ecosystem. It’s targeted at buyers of streaming media devices like Apple TV and Roku, who like to game."

The Shield will launch in North America in May, with Nvidia saying it will arrive in the UK in the second half of the year.

Additional controllers, a remote control and a stand for propping the console up will be sold separately.